Learning about African Politics, through a Kenyan Experience
By
Ms. Adetokunbo A. Badejo
“Raila Odinga: An Enigma in Kenyan Politics” is a multifaceted book which introduces an illustrious Kenyan and his political struggles, and the Kenyan government—through the passage of time. The author, Dr. Babafemi A. Badejo, is a scholarly fellow whose firsthand experience and knowledge of different dimensions of African politics led to the creation of this thoughtful masterpiece. Despite the title, which seems to connote a sole biographical piece on Raila Odinga, the author managed to weave a complex—yet insightful—web of world history, African political history, Kenyan history and politics, and the social construction of the Kenyan people.
The central theme of the book is to introduce an unsung Kenyan politician who endured years of countless inhumane treatment in an effort to help his countrymen realize true multi-party democracy. The inhumane treatment included multiple house arrests, imprisonment and eventually forced exile to Norway via the backwoods of Uganda.
Raila was born to a prominent Kenyan politician-Jaramogi Oginga Odinga-whose contribution to decolonilization earned him the deserved position as the first Vice President in Kenya. Raila, like many Africans, was educated in Europe earning a Masters of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from East Germany and international connections that would last a lifetime. While in university, Raila satisfied his itch for politics by joining and leading several student organizations. Upon graduation, Raila returned to Kenya in time to witness the 1969 Kisumu massacre—a testament of the consequences of a de facto one-party system of governance. Kenya obtained independence in the early 1960s, but sank into a de facto one-party system of oppression in the hands of the founding fathers.
Raila, as an educated and politically inclined young man was further motivated to take up the struggle for multi-partyism when the government turned on university teachers in an effort to silence their weekly discussions regarding the unconstitutional nature of the one-party system of government. Through several alliances, re-alliances, a multi-party state was restored and Raila remains a force to reckon with in Kenyan politics. Despite the attainment of a multi-party system, Raila continued to openly defy former President Danial arap Moi who presided over Kenya for more than twenty years. Then he surprisingly joined Moi in an unexplainable move that alienated him from colleagues with who he had been in the trenches. However, when Moi decided to foist a successor on Kenya, Raila, through the formation of a rainbow alliance and later a rainbow coalition led the team that thwarted the plan of Moi and saw Mwai Kibaki as the beneficiary of what all Kenyan’s thought would be a new order in accountability and democratization. Alas, Kenyan’s have been proved wrong by the new regime.
Apart from analyzing Raila’s life, the book does an excellent job of introducing Kenya to its audience. There are several in-depth discussions about Kenyan politics: the colonization of Kenya, the struggle for independence, and life after independence. It also provides useful information on the role in public life of many Kenyan politicians, including the immediate past President, Daniel arap Moi and his successor, President Mwai Kibaki. It is a useful volume for an understanding of competition for political space and political corruption that is currently taking place in Kenya. This book provides the reader with a better understanding of current media reporting about a beautiful East African country caught in a vicious cycle of political corruption.
On a positive note, the book introduces several Kenyan ethnic groups, their uniqueness, beauty, and their amusing traditional stereotypes. “Kenya is made up of about 42 different ethnic groups, some of which could be seen as separate nationalities forced together by different historical circumstances.” The book emphasizes the loyalty people have and owe to their ethnics groups, and how unscrupulous politicians try to exploit this. The most prominent groups are the Kikuyus and the Luos. “The Luos and the Kikuyus are separate and relatively homogenous communities, of course the extent of the exploitation of this homogeneity as basis of political action would vary among the two ethnic groupings.” For example, “the assertion of ideological difference and personal leadership ambitions, accentuated the struggle between Tom Mboya and Oginga Odinga” While politicians like Jomo Kenyatta ripped the benefit of ethnic politics, Mboya paid the ultimate price-the loss of his life.
Finally, the book points out similarities between Kenyan politics and politics in other African countries. It discusses the cold war period and the reasons why some African leaders found communism as a comfortable alternative to the allied capitalist structure. It also alludes to the fact that Africans replaced one form of oppression—colonial rule, for another—corrupt leaders who commit several atrocities in an effort to retain power.
I definitely recommend Raila Odinga: An Enigma in Kenyan Politics” to anyone who wants to learn about: African politics, Kenyan politics and/or Raila Odinga, a true Enigma!
